From the publication “Adaptive cruise control ACC” published by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart, in April 2002 (ISBN-3-7782-2034-9), an adaptive distance and speed control system is known which detects vehicles driving ahead with the aid of emitted microwave radiation and intervenes in the drive and brake devices of the vehicle in such a way that a speed control in the sense of a distance control is implemented if a vehicle driving ahead is detected, and a speed control in the sense of a constant speed control is implemented if no vehicle driving ahead is present. To this end, microwave radiation, which is FMCW-modulated, is emitted and partial waves of the emitted radiation reflected off the objects in the sensor detection range are received again and analyzed by the distance sensor.